Means for lubricating air-compressing engines



April 29, 1924. 9,992,164

W. E. FARLEY MEANS FOR LUBRICATING AIRCOMPRESSING ENGINES Filed Feb'. 1o. 192

Patented pr. 29, 1224.

i STATES 'winnaar n. renner, or EL anno, cxnenciae.

Pair

MEANS FO'R LUBRICATING AIRCOMPRESSING- ENGINES.

Application led February 10, 1923. Serial IiTo. 618,281.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. FARLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at El Reno, in the county of Canadian and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Lubricating Air-Compressing Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

rllhis invention relates to lubrication, and particularly to means for lubricating the air ends of air compressing engines, and the object of the invention is to provide means whereby the oil cups and oil swabs ordinarily used in oiling the air end of air compressors are dispensed with and lubrication is secured by conducting the i,

exhaust steam as it comes from the steam end of the compressingengines through a condenser pipe into the air end of the compressor, thus carrying lubricant which is contained in the steam into the compressing cylinders or cylinder.

A further object is to provide means whereby the condensed steam carrying the lubricant is retarded just prior to its entrance into the air end of the compressor engine so as to reduce the'extreme heat' of the exhaust steam which would otherwisef cause the lubricant'to be destroyed.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description. f

My invention is illustrated in the accom panying drawings, wherein t-f Figure l is a diagrammatic elevation of a double acting steam engine with double acting air compressors connected thereto.

and showing my lubricating device applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary topiplan view of the cylinders 11 and l2'withmy lubricating device attachedthereto;y f Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlarged section on the line 3--3 of Figure 2; j

Figure 4e is a fragmentary enlarged section on the line i- 4t of Figure 2. n'

`Referring to these drawings, it will be seen that I have illustrated my lubricating system in connection with an air pumping engine having a low pressure steaimv cylinder, a high pressure steam cylinder, a high pressure air cylinder, and a low pressure" air cylinder,y the piston ofthe low pressurecylinder being directly connected to thev piston of the high pressure cylinder, and

tons of thetwo cylinders.

1 fromthe oriiice 23.

ynipple is ,beveled at25. The purpose of the same being true of the low pressure steam and aircylinders.

l0 designates f the high pressure steam cylinder, l1 the low pressure steam cylin der, 12 the low pressure air cylinder, and 13 the high pressure air cylinder, 14 designating the pistonrods connecting the pis- I have illustr'ated the steam cylindersand air cylinders diagrainmatically, as it will be understood that thisflubricating system might be applied to many different forms or types of air compressing cylinders.V l

From the'low pressure steam cylinder extends the usual steam exhaust pipe 15, and to this steam exhaust pipe l5 is connected acondenser pipe 16. This is illustrated as connected to the exhaust pipe 15 by a nipple l'and chamber 18,-and within the chamber is threaded an annulus `19 having,

a relatively small orifice discharginginto the condenser'pipe. The condenser pipe may be of any required length, diameter or form in order to suit different conditions 'or locations of compressing engines and may lterior threads receiving .thecollar 21 and the interior threads receivingr a nipple 22 having a vlongitudinally extending bore which' discharges by va very small orifice 23 toward the low pressure air cylinder. The bore 24 'for a distance beyond this oriiice .23 is relatively small and then is enlarged toward the extremity of the` nipple away rlhe kextremity of the this nipple' is to retard and checlrthe flow of condensed steam `from the condenser pipe 16 to the low pressure air cylinder, and to fthis extent thenipple 22 acts as a trapafThe retardation of the condensed steamfcauses theV retarded lsteam to cool before'passing through thefsniall orifice 23 and being admitted'to the air end ofthe compressing engine. It is necessary to .do this because of the fact that the steam when received from the eXhaust pipe is at a relatively high degree oit temperature and will cause the lubricant to be destroyed.

Preferably connected to the condenser 16 is a branch pipe 26 which is connected to the high pressure steam cylinder 13 by means of the collar 27k Within Which is disposed a feed control element consisting of the nipple E22 having the boie 23, the 4'enlarged poi tion 24, and the beveled end 25, as previously described. In other WordsV at the inlet of the pipe 16 into the low pressure air cylinder and at the inlet of the branch pipe 26 into the high pressure'cylinder there is provided a feed control element of the cljiaracter shown inv Figure 4. Preferably there Will Vbe a fine mesh screen 28 disposed across the port admitting the steam from the exhaust pipe 15 into the condenser pipe 16. This Will prevent any scale Vor any' other foreign matter passing through the exhaust pipe into the condenser, i'vliich foreign matter might clog they small feed orifice in the feed controll element. I have also illustrated a hard grease lubricator of lconventional form, designated 29, as connectedtothe steam inlet pipe for the high pressure steam cylinder and have illustrated .the ordinary air pump governor 30 connected to this steam inlet pipe. i Y

4This invention operates to catch any lubricant that may escape with the Iexhaust steam, retaiding it vvith the condensed steam in the condenser and delivering it to the air cylinder'of the air compressor. This, lubrieating mechanism may be used with any kind of lubricant whatsoever and lmay be used with a hard grease lubricator or with an oil lubricato'r, andit'is to be particularly understood that it may be used With the present hydrostatic lubricator in universal use on all compressors at this time." Inasmuchas the particular for-m of lubricator forms no part' of this invention, I have only illustrated' the' lubricator conventionally.

The object of the small port 19 at'the inlet end of the condenser is to reduce the vol- Y ume of exhaust steam entering the condensing pipe and to retard this steam. Y The feed control kelement illustrated i-n Figure 4 should be of such dimensions that it' will cause the exhaust steamto Vbe condensed into VWater before it passes linto vthe low Ypressure air cylinder. The particular object in'having the bore of the controlling element 22 ofldilferent diameters is that this Valso Vacts to retard the passage of steam from the condensing pipe into the ai'i` cylinder and this kretardation causes 'the steam to condense.

The object in having the 'extremity' ofthe member 22 beveled is to prevent shoulders being formed at ythis place and do avvay with any abrupt obstri'ictlion Y-which would allow water. to pass by thek feed element "and Send here se. fed een einen the compressor engine, thus securing a considerable economy and. doing away absolutely WithA the necessity of using oil cups and oil swabs for oiling the air end of the compressor engine. i

lVhile I have illustrated a particular arrangement o'f condenser pipe, I donot Wish to be limited thereto as it is obvious that modifications may be made Within the scope ofthe appended claims and particularly that the condenser pipe may be of various forms Without departing from tlieprinciple of ,the invention. V i

1.' The combination With a steam cylinder having 'an exhaust pipe and an air compressing cylinder operated thereby, of means for lubricating the latter comprising la tubular vsteam condensing member operatively connected at one'endw'iththe exhaust pipe and at its other end to the air cylinder.

Q. The combination with a steam cylinder having an erhaust pipe andan air compressing cylinder operated thereby, of means for llubricating the latter comprising a tubular condenser operatively connected at one end to 'th'erex'haust pipe and at its other end discharging into theair compressing cylinder,

the condenser pipe at its inlet end having a restricted inlet'opening and at its outlet end having a restricted outlet opening.

3. The combination vvith a steam cylinder having an exhaust pipe and an air compressing cylinder operated thereby, of means for lubricating the latter comprising a tubular condenser'operatively connected4 at one end charging into the air compressing cylinder, the condenser pipe at its inlet Grid having a restricted yinlet opening and atits' outlet ill) to the exhaust pipe and at its other end disend having a restrictedoutlet 'opening and l at its outletleiid having a nippleV mounted Within theV pipe and extending away from the outlet thereof, said nipple having a longitudinally'extending bore, the bore at its outlet end vbeing contracted to provide a relatively small'outlet oriiice.

v4. The combination With a low pressureV connecting the 10W pressure steam cylinder With the high pressure air cylinder and the high pressure steam cylinder With the 10W pressure air cylinder, the low pressure air cylinder having an exhaust pipe, of a condenser pipe operatively connected to the exhaust pipe and discharging into the low pressure air cylinder, said condenserr pipe having a restricted inlet opening at its inlet end and a restricted discharge opening at its outlet end.

5. The combination With an engine and an air compressing cylinder operated thereby, the engine including a steam cylinder having an exhaust, of means for lubricating the air compressing cylinder including a condenser leading from the exhaust pipe of the steam cylinder and discharging into the air compressing cylinder, and means atthe outlet end of said condenser for retarding the flow of condensate to the air cylinder.

6. The combination with a high pressure steam cylinder and -a lou7 pressure steam cylinder, a low pressure air cylinder and a high pressure air cylinder coacting With the high and low pressure steam cylinders, of,

' means for lubricating the air compressing cylinders including a condenser, the condenser being operatively connected at one end to the exhaust pipe of the loW pressure steam cylinder, the condenser having branches discharging into the high and low pressure air cylinders respectively, and means at the outlet ends of the condenser for retarding the ow of condensate into the high and 10W pressure air cylinders, said means including a trap.

7. The combination with a steam cylinder having an exhaust pipe `and an air compressing cylinder operated thereby, means for lubricating the latter comprising a steam conxsk and operated thereby, means for carrying lubricant into the interior of the steam cyl-k inder, of means for lubricating the air cylinder comprising a steam condensing member connected at one end to the exhaust pipe of the steam cylinder and having a discharge Voutlet connected to the air cylinder, Y and means aty the inlet and outlet ends of the condenser for retarding the flow of fluid therefrom.

9. The combination with a steam cylinder having an exhaust pipe, an air compressing cylinder coacting with the steam cylinder and operated thereby, and means for carrying lubricant into the interior of the steam cylinder, of means for lubricating the air cylinder comprising a steam condensing member connected to one end of the exhaust pipe of the steam cylinder and having a discharge outlet connected to the air cylinder.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

WILLIAM E. FARLEY. 

